Deflector for plate-feeding mechanisms



June 26, 1923.

E. C. POOL DEFLECTOR FOR PLATE FEEDING MECHANISMS 1922 5' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28 Nw. m\ J J/ m) SQ .Q w M N 1 s s m NN. ..1 L1 N n Q Q a 2 1 A@ Rw mw um vmhmw .uw RVN @hwk f 1| II.H|DI y l vc MN Nw QQ@ ev@ vl fm L NN l n, Qv QN Mm a h .Q Nw e/ To; www www, i Nh Q E I :-i-- 1-1-1 l 1-11-, imm@ JQ? iimmi-- V KK@ k@ .www

w l` NY `uune `26, 1923.

E C. POOL DEFLECTOR FOR PLATE FEEDING MEcHANIsMs Filed July 28. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /V'fzessess June 26, 1923. 1,460,1138

' E` C. POOL DEFLECTOR FOR PLATE FEEDING MECHANISMS Filed July 28 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Win95-sea' M June 26, 1923.

E. C. POOL DEFLECTOR FOR PLATE FEEDING MEcHANIsMs Filed July 28 1922 5 sheets-sheet 5 vfor prevent-ingY more than PatentedA .l une 26, 9213.

ELMER C. POOL, 0F N EW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEFLECTOR lFOR PLATE-FEEDING MECHAJZI'ISMS.'

Application led July 28, 1922. Serial No. 578,187.

To all @cham it may concern.' l

Be it known that I, ELMER C. POOL, a citi- '/.en of the United States, and resident of New Castle, in the county of Lawrence and Y State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Deflectors for Plate-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manipulation of metal sheets and plates, and more particularly to the feeding of such sheets or plates, automatically, one at a time, from a pile to a tinning machine, and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved feeding mechanism such as that described in my Patent No. 1,448#- 11, dated March 13, 1923, having means for positively preventing more than one plate entering the tinning machine.

In automatically feeding metal plates by magnetic feedingdevices or otherwise, two or more lates are often carried upward by the feeding device, and when these plates enter Ithe tinning machine they are not roperly tinned, and must be scrapped. Vith the present invention, mea-ns are provided y one plate entering thel tinning machine.

Another object of the present invention is to deect or throw out the plates when a plurality of plates is fed to the tinning-machine prior to their entry into the tin bath,

thus preventing the scrap ing of'such platessince they may be again ed singly through the machine.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of my improved feed' ing mechanism applied to a tinning machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan of the apparat-us of. Figure l.

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of the rear portion ofthe device.

`Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of the calipering andswitching mechanism. t

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation on the line V-V of Figure 4.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a tinning pot, in itself an old and approved form. The pot is separated transversely by a vertical wall or artition 2, into compartments B and C.V T Ie lpwer edge of this partition or septum 2, which terminates above the bottom of the tinning pot, and the upper edgeof a rib or projection 3 on the bottom of the pot defines the width or vertical dimension of a narrow passage or opening D, through which the plates, while vsubmerged in thebath of molten tin, pass from the compartment B into the compartment Cof the pot A. The particular po'tl shown is of a width which permits of'two or more plates, side by side, being passed through the tinning pot.

Located immediatelabove the upper edge of the compartment at the plate entering side of the tinning pot, are two sets of feed rollers E and F, which are arranged to receive the plates from my improved feeding mechanism to be described', and to move them forwardly and downwardly into the tin' ot at an angle to the horizontal.

e feed rollers vF areA at a somewhat lower level than they rollers E,V and an adjustable roller G is located on the discharge side of the set F Ato guidey and Ldirect thc front end of the successive plates forwardly fand downwardly and\into the molten tin in compartment B, as they emerge from between the rollers F. 4

Positioned within gtlie compartment B, closely adjacent to the plassage D, is a set of pressure rolls I. .T ese pressure rolls feed theplates from compartment B into the compartment C;

Two sets of feed-out Arollers J ai'idK are providedin the compartment C of potA to feed-out the plates 4and also to squeeze Aofi' surplus tin from the plates.

An inclined apron plate 10 is provided at the entrance end of the compartment B of the pot to receive the plates as they are deliyered from my improved feeding mechanism. Other vguide plates,12I and 13, are arran ed to guide the plates through the rolls and I, and curved guideI plates 14 and 14. forma guide N .which directs the forward end of the plates the set of pressure rolls I u wardl f into the bite of the lower set J of t e fee -out rollers J and K. j

My improved Mfeeding lmechanism 1s adapted to be located directly at the vrear of that-inning pot and comprises a double/set of parts arran ed side by sidesoas to act ontwo piles o?, plates at oney timehthereby feeding two plates, sidel by side, mto the tinning machine. z

A framework or supporting structure 16 is secured to and extends rearwardly from emerging from` ico v parts comprising my feeding mechanism. vA bosh or receptacle 17 is secured tofand extends below the framework 16 and is` adapted tocontain a vertically adjustable platepile holder. The plate holder comprises a back rest member 19 which is secured to the back wall of the bosh 17 and pro'ects inwardly and downwardly on an ang e, so as to slidably support anL-shaped plate retainer 20 which is ofsutiicient width to hold two piles of plates side by side. Tlhe plate retainer 20 is adjustablyheld in position and adapted to be vertically adjusted by means of a pair of chains 21, one oif which is secured onl'each end thereofand passes upwardly over suitable sheaves 22 splined on a shaft 23 journaled in the bosh.

The shaft has avratchet and dog operating` mechanism 24 on one end'. outside of the end wall of the bosh.

Mounted on the rear edge of the sup'- -porting framework 16 at each end and center thereof is a bracket 25 supporting a shaft 26, having four arms 27 loosely mounted thereon for pivotal movement.

The arms 27 have a plurality of cylindril cal magnetic plate lifters Y journaled and supported in their lower ends, and the center arms have their upper ends counterweighted by adjustable counterweights 29 mounted on a projecting arm 30. A locking level` 31 is pivoted on the arms 27, having the counterweights adjacent -their upper' ends, and such lever is provided vwith a notch 32 to' engage with 'the projecting tongue 33 on the frame 16 so as to hold the magnetic plate lifters Y out of plate engaging position whendesired.'

The magnetic plate lifters Y each com-l prises a permanent magnetic member 34 mounted within a. pair of hollow cylindrical casings 35 which 'have their inner ends spaced apart andjoined' by a nonmagnetic, cylindrical tubular member 36. vStub shafts 37 are" threaded into the outer ends of the casings 35- and support the whole structure in suitable bearings formed 'in the lower ends of the arms 27 The hollow cylindrical casing members 35 are formed of soft iron or other material which willreadily convey the circuit or attracting forces from the permanent magnet 34, thus forming unlike poles through which a4 circuit will be completed when they con. tact with a plate. 1 The outer surface or periphery ofthe members 35 is fiuted, forming a series of knife edge ribs'o'r projections 39. It will thus be seen that each of the ribs or projections 39will successively-engage Va plate .as the magnetis rotated, and that, projections l on the opposite casingswill form opposite or unlike pole contacts, and that such projectlons will contact with the face'o'f the outermost plateof` the pile 4in theV retainer the next adjoining plate.

20. The effect of the knife edge contacts will be" to concentrate the forces of the magnet inthe immediate plate and prevent the spreading of the forcesv through and into Suitable cross-beams 40-40 are arranged from one end of the frame support 16 to the other immediately above the upper edge of the bosh, and carry suitable curved guide strips 41-'42 arranged to form an upwardly and inwardly inclined passageway-to guide the plates being conveyed.

A second pair of cross-beams 43'-43 is arranged forward and above the crossbeams 40, and carry other guide strips 44- 45 forming a second passage-way adapted to receive the plates from thepassage-way between the strips 41442, and direct them forwardly and upwardly between suitable pinch rollers 46'and 47 of any well-known construction; j

The lower one of the pair ofpinch rollers E is driven by'a suitable source of power and carries a sprocket 48 on each end. Pinch roller 46 also carries a sprocket 48 on each end in -line with the sprocket 48, and a third sprocket 48b is mounted on each end of the shaft 26 in line with the sprockets 48 and 48a A link chain 49 is trained about the sprockets 48, 48, 48", thus, driving the pinch rollers E, pinch rollers 46 and 47, and shaft 26 at the same speed. It will be understood that if found desirable in practice,

"one set of drive sprockets may be used on one side of the machine.

A pair of sprockets 50 of somewhat` smaller diameter than the sprockets 48, 48,

48b is mounted on the ends of the shaft 26, i

anda sprocket 5,1. of greater diameter than the sprockets/ 50, is mounted on the end of los the outside stub shafts 37 of each magnetic conve er, and a chain 52 is trained 'over the sproc iets 50 and 51 to constantly drive the conveyer members, which will necessarily revolve at a lesser speed than the pinch rollers E and pinch rollers 46, 47, due to the f 4difference in size of the sprockets 50 and 51.

Magnetic separators X are mounted above each of themagnetic plate lifters Y and comprise a rectangular casing member 63 hingedly or pivotally supported on the cross-beam 40. The casings 63 contain al permanent magnet 64 and are provided with j blade or knife edge poles 65 which extend intovthe pathl .of the liftedplates and contact with the rear Afaces thereof. The mag net 64 is of less strength than the magnets of the plate lifter Y, and, therefore, will not materially retard', lthe movement of the plates, yet it is of suiiicient strength that if two lates should stick 'or in some manner be li ted together, it will retard the movement of the second plate, and 'thus separate them. v A further means for preventing the feedi `pinch rollers 46-47, and comprises a shaft' 1,4eo,oss

ing of more than a single plate into the tinni'ng pot is located just to the rear of the 67- -journaled in the frame support 16 and having a `plurality of locking vfingers 68 secured thereon of triangular shape,'and of such sizethat their Hat sides will extend past L faces of the fingers 'against the plate. If a second plate is overlapped on the first in such a manner that its forward edge is disposed to the rear of the forward edgeof the first plate, it will strike the fingers and be f-held, since the'fingers cannot a ain rotate until the rst the fingers.

. Another feature and function of these iingers is that they will. cause an even feed o-f the plates from both of the magnetic feed rollers Y', since .if 'one roller feeds a plate in advance of the other, the I irst to reach or strike the fingers 68 will rotate them the onethird turmpand then lock them against rotation untilit has'lpass'e'd. from thereunder, andthe platethatis injthe rear will be held until the iing'ersjaresagain freed when another'platewill-.be -presented by the other magnetic 'feed roller tofollow the one just clearing thev fingers, thus causing the newly presented pllate, and the` held plate to .pass

. together to the rollers 4 6-47.

A still furthervmeans for preventing the feedin of double sheets to the tinning pot is locate forward of they fingers 68 and this means acts as a trap so that kif more than one plate passes therethrough they will y be trappedland thrown out'so they maybe sal,- vaged and again fed through the'machie;

his mechanism, which is in thef'orm of `a calipering mechanism, comprises 'a pair of supporting angle membersl ;54.54.' The lower .member 54l is provided with a pad 55 formingl the bottom calipering'surface'. y The upper member 54a has an inverted U-shaped supporting bracket member 56 secured to its upper face which serves to form a supporting bearingrfon a "calipering bolt 57 Whichpasses througha suitable ianged sleeve 57a mounted in' anaperture in the' upper side of the member 56. A spring 58-is'mounted' around the-sleeve 57a and has lower end bearing againstthe bracket ind-fits upper end bearing against a "sui'talolebearinv 'disk or washer 58a mountedfon the bolt v 5 and adjustably held in position bya nutf58b.

A caliperadjusting nut 59 is mounted on a finely threaded section of the boltv 57 immediately belowthem` l i156 audits upplate has passed rom unden per end bears against the flange of sleeve 57a. A suitable handle 59a is secured' to the nut 59 so that it may be readily turned. lt will be readily seen that .any movement of the nut will raise or lowerthe bolt 57.

An inverted U-shaped supporting member 60 is mounted on the lower end of the bolt 57 and serves as a support for the trapping andupper plate calipering mechanism. The member 60 has plate guides 60a secured to the outer faces of its side portions. which guides serve to deflect and guide the plates between the calipering mechanism.

A pair of sheet deflectors 60b are pivotally 'mounted on a pivot pin 60 mounted in the member 60. The delectors 60" extend rearwar'dlyl an appreciable distance and have a x counterweight 60d secured thereto whicl'normally tends to hold them in their lowermost position. The lower faces of the deflectors 60b have their forward portions inclined downwardly to form a deflecting surface.

A calipering cam 61 is mounted onv the pin 60 and forms the upper calipering surface. A counterweighting lever portion 61"i of the cam 61 extends rearwardly and serves to normally hold the cam in its lowermost position and also bears against the switch tongue 87 to hold it in raised position.

' With the bolt 57 adjusted so that the cam 61 is spaced just sutlicien'tly above the pad 55 to permit a single plate to pass therethrough, if more than one plate is passed un-` der the cam they will engage and rock the cam` thus causing thecam to rotate Varound sufficiently `to clear the plates and allow them to pass freely between the calipering surfaces. Also when the cam is rotated the lever portion 61a will be lifted from the switch tongue 87 and allow it to drop into the path of the oncoming plates.

The switch tongue 87 is a part of the traplping mechanism which comprises a switch plate rigidly secured on a supporting bar 86, and having the Switch tongue 87 pivotally mounted on the forward end thereof for vertical movement relatively thereto. The

switch tongue is normally held in raised posii tion. That is, in a plane above .the portion 60 of the deilectors 60b by the Alever portion 61a ofthe cam 61 which restsl upon the rear edge of the tongue.

It will be readily seen more plates pass between the calipering faces of the' mechanism the cam 61 will be rocked so as to lift the lever port'iorrV v6111 and allow the switch tongue to drop, thus intercepting theplates and guiding orsdeflecting them over the switch plate 85. l

A guide plate 88 is secured to the under side'of the bar`86 and extends downwardly on lan angle to guide the single plates into the bite of the rolls E.

The switch plate 85 serves to guide the lea ' duplicated foreach tinning pot.

each set of feeding mechanism has 1ts o wn a pair of pinch rollers 89--90 which in turn4 feed them onto a suitable retainer or plat` form 91 from which they may be taken by the operator and again fed through the Inachine.

It will be, of course, understood that the above calipering and trapping mechanism is That is,

i arms `pivotally mounted as at 71 to the lower ends of levers 72, which have their other ends keyed or otherwise secured to i operating shafts 73 which have their outer.

ends journaled in rack plates 74 and their inner ends iournaled in Va single double bracket `75 which bracket is secured to the forward wall of the bosh 17 by bolts-7G o r the like.

Each of the operating shafts 7 3 extends beyondithe rack plates 74 which vare bolted to and'extend upwardly from the end walls` ofthe bosh 17.

A suitable yoperating lever 78 is secured to the outer end' of each of the shafts 73 and is provided with a hand grip 79 for the operator to grasp. f The side arms of the U-shaped yoke. mem bers 70 normally rest upon and ride across the shoulders or bearing bosses 271'onthe lower endsy of arms 27, in which the stub Shafts 37 of plate lifters Y are journaled.

It will be readily apparent that when the operator grasps the lever 78 and rocks it in a forward direction it willl so rotate the shaft as tto move the yoke 70 rearwardly..

As the yoke is moved rearwardly the operator will either grasp the yoke itself and manually lift it upwardly to clear the pack of plates being f ed into. the machine and then let it drop behind said pack, or he will l be engaged in the upper serrated or toothed.

grasp the flexible cable. or chain 77 which hasits one end secured to ythe, one side bar of the yoke and its other end secured to the shaft 26, and thus'lift the yoke.

In order to hold the yoke in various ad- ],ustable positions, a springQpi-essed pawl 80 having operating 4handle or drop 81 is`- mounted on the lever 7 8 and is adapted to edge 81 of rack plate 74.

When the operator desires to renew 'the pack of plates he will move the yoke (for that pack rearwardly and lift it over the pack as described above. He will then move or rock the lever 7 8 rearwardly so as to move the yoke forwardly, which will pull the remaining plates ofthe pack with it, and when the pack has been moved forward to the desired position, he'will release the pawl and lock the yoke in position. He may then renew the pack by adding latesl to the rear of the original pack. Vhenv sufiicien't plates have thus been added, the yoke will be moved rearwardly and disengaged from the original pack.

forward rest 82 is secured to the forward wall of the bosh 17 toprevent the plates being tilted forward beyond a point sov where they may be operatively engaged by ,i

the plate lifters Y.

The operation of my improved feeding mechanism will be readily understood from the above description taken with the accompanyingdrawings. The peculiar and novel construction Y of magnetic plate lift will cause the magnetic forces to be concentrated on a single plate of the pile and will lift it through t-heguide passages to thef p'iclr in turn ee it ,rollers 46447, which wil to the pinch rollers 'E of the tinning pot.

The operations of the three Vseparate mechanisms for preventingmore than one plate being:carried to the tinning pot, have also been fully described above, and will not be gone into again, although 'these lnechanisins are important features and are distinct improvements over any devices heretofore known. The calipering trip and trapping mechanism being particularly novel and forming the subject matter of the following claims.

It will be readily understood that while I have described my invention :in combination with a tinning pot, it is not limited to such use, but may be used 4wherever it is desired to feed single plates, and therefore I do not wish .to be limited to such a combination.

` I claim ,l I 1. In an automatic plate feeding mechanism, a pair of. calipering members, means.

-member pivotally mounted for vertical vmovement at ya point forward of"`sa1d calforfeeding said plates from'a pack, aswitchl ipering members, said switch member being normally heldin its :upper position'out of `the path of travel of said plates by one of said calipering members, said .calipering` member being adapted to be moved upwardly away from said switch by the plates when more lthan one plate passes between the .-fcaliperingmembers, whereby said switeh member will fall into the path of travel of the plates and deflect them out of their normal path.

' 2. Infan automaticplate feeding mechanism, a pair of calipering members,'meansfor feeding said plates from a pack. a switch member pivotally mounted for vertical movement at a point forward of said calipering members. said switch member being normally held in its upper position out of the path ot' travel of said plates by' oneI ot' said calipering members, said 'ca'lipering member being adapted to be moved up-v wardly away from said switch by the plates when more than one plate passes between the calipering'members. whereby said switch member will fall into -the path of travel of the plates and deflect them out Aof their normal path, means for receiving the plates deflected by said switch, and pinch rollers for conveying the deflected plates away from said switch.

3. In an automatic plate feeding mechanism, a pair of calipering members. means for feeding said plates from a pack, a switch member pivotally mounted for vertical movement at a point forward of said cali- 'pering members` said switch member being normally held in its Vupper position out of the path of travel of said plates by one ot' said cali ering members. said ealiperinei member being adapted to be moved upwardly away from said switch b v the plates when more than one plate passes between the calipering members, wherebyl said switch member will fall into the path of travel of the plates and detlectl them out-ot their normal path,.a switch plate forward ot' said switch adapted to receive and support the 'deflected plates, a pair of pinch .rollers adaptedv to receive and convey the plates forwardly away from saidvswitcb. and n platform for receiving the plates from said rollers.

4. In an automatic plate feeding mechanism, a pair of calipering members. the lower of said members being rigid and the upper of said members being vertically adjustable, said last named member beingr cam shaped and revolvable about-a fixed horizontal axis, a counterweighting lever on said cam shaped member. a switch member pivotally mounted for vertical movement forward of said calipering members and normally held out of thepath of travelof the lates passing between said calipering memers by said counterweighting lever, said lever being adaptedto berocked upwardly from said yswitch and thereby release said switch for downward movement' into the path of travel ofthe plates when more than one plate passes between said c alipering members. i

5. In an 'automatic plate feeding mechanism, a pair of calipering members. the lower of said members being rigid and the upper of said members being vertically adjustable, said last named member being cam shaped and revolvable about a fixed horizontal axis, a connterwcightinflV lever on said cam shaped member. said cam .shaped v member beingr adapted to be rocked about wardly into the path of the plateswhen saidk upper cam shaped member is rocked by two 0r more plates passing between the calipering members. and means tor receiving the plates deflected out of their normal path by said switch.

6. Inan automatic plate feeding mechanism, apair of caliperine` members. the lower of said memberslieing rigid and the upper of said members beingl vertically adjustable, said last named member being cam shaped and revolvabh` about a fixed horizontal axis, a eounterweighting lever on said cam shaped member. said cam shaped member being adapted to be rocked about its fixed axis by the friction of two or more plates passing between .the calipering members. a switch member pivotally mounted for vertical movement forward of said calipering members and normally held against downward movement by said lever on Asaid ca-m shaped 'calipering member. said switch being adapted to automatically more downwardly into the path of the plates when said npper.cam shaped member is rocked by two or more plates passing between the caliper-ing members. pinch rollers for receiving and conveying the plates deflected ont of their normal path by said switch, and means for receiving the plates from said pinch rollers.

7. In an automatic plate feeding mechanism, a pair of calipering members. means for feeding' said plates from a pack. a switch member mbunted forward of'said caliper'ing members and normally tending to intercept the pla'tes'passing between said calipering members, one of said calipering members being adapted to lock said switch member in vposition out ofthe path of travel of sald plates and to automatically release saidl Switch when 'two or more plates pass between said calipering members and means for adjusting one of said calipering members to accommodate plates of varying thick- DESS.

signed my name.

ELMER C. POOL. 

